Corrugated fasteners are generally rectangular-shaped fasteners having alternating ridges and grooves, or corrugations, that are used to join pieces of wood or other materials. Corrugated fasteners are widely used in applications involving miter and butt joints, such as in the manufacture of cabinetry, furniture, and picture frames, as well as in vinyl siding, pallet, and truss assemblies. In many applications, corrugated fasteners are used as a substitute for nails where nails may split the wood.
When joining two pieces of wood in a perpendicular arrangement, such as in the manufacture of cabinets, corrugated fasteners can be used to secure the pieces together. Ideally, a corrugated fastener should be driven into the material fully, without any portion of the fastener being exposed. However, if the wood is too thin or the fastener is too long or too wide, when the corrugated fastener is driven into a corner, the fastener may remain exposed inside the corner of the cabinet and/or the corners of the fastener may be pushed through an outside surface of the cabinet. The exposed fastener appears sloppy. Furthermore, an exposed leading edge of the fastener is sharp and is liable to cause injury to anyone who happens to brush against it.
One solution for preventing fastener exposure in a corner application is to use a smaller fastener. However, a fastener that does not penetrate the material deeply enough will not prevent the joint from separating or becoming misaligned.
To provide a strong and stable connection between adjoining pieces of wood or other material, it is ideal to maximize the size of the corrugated fastener without the fastener being exposed on either the inside surface or outside surface of the joined pieces.
There is a need or desire for a corrugated fastener that can be used to join two perpendicular pieces of material such that the fastener can deeply penetrate the material in a corner formed by the two pieces without any edges of the fastener being exposed on either an inside surface or outside surface of the two materials.